Hartwell william webb



No. 749,007.. PATBNTED JAN. 5, 1904.

- H. W. WEBB.

v AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR. APPLIOATION FI'LED in. 1a, 1903. no menu.

UNITED STATES Patented january 5 1904; g

HARTWELL WILLIAM WEBB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,007, dated January5, 1904.

Application filed March 18, 1903. Serial No. 148,418. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARTWELL WILLIAM- WEBB, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gas-Generators; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to gas-generators, especially of theacetylene type.Its object is to provide a generator which will furnish a large volumeof gas and be particularly useful in connection with vehicle-lamps-as,for example, lamps for heavy automobiles.

To this end it comprises two communicating generating elements, as acarbid receptacle and a surrounding water chamber, means for creating acapillary film of water, means for regulating the supply of water,safety-escapes for the gas, and details of construction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central longitudinalsection. Fig. 2 is a central transverse section, and Fig. 3 is an endelevation. v 1 represents the water-chamber, which in the preferred formI have illustrated is substantially rectangular, inclosing asubstantially cylindrical carbid-receptacle 2. The carbid-receptacle isclosed at each end by means of caps 3. These caps, as illustrated,comprise a body l and a flanged and corrugated or screw-threaded innerlining 5, the flange taking over the body 4.. In the head of the cap isa gasket or packing 6, secured in place by a flanged plate 7.

8 is a projecting head similar to a bolthead adapted to receive a,wrench.

In each end the water-chamber has a cir cular depression 9. Thecarbid-receptacle is preferably formed, as shown, by a cylindrical sheetof metal soldered to an inturned flange of the water-chamber. Secured ateach end to the interior of the carbid-receptacle is a flangedcylindrical and screwthreaded ring 10 to receive the cap 3, preferablybraced by a wire ring 11 under the top flange of the threaded ring 10.

Within the carbid-receptacle 2 is a curved plate 12, slightly separatedby means of indentations 13 from the bottom of the carbidreceptacle sothere is formed a capillary space 14. In the bottom of thecarbid-receptacle and below the plate 12 are perforations 15, which leadinto a small chain ber-a waterbasin formed by a semispherical plate 16.

A tube or guide 17 passes through the water-chamber and thecarbid-receptacle and is attached, by means of a screw-thread or othermeans, to a valve-seat 18,which projects through the bottom of thecarbid-receptacle into the water-chamber and has four ways or ports 19,20, 21, and 22. Passing through the tube 17 is a needle-valve 23,screw-threaded at the top at 24 and having a hand-wheel 25. head 26, andfor a short distance above the head is reduced, as shown at 27, so as toform. between it and the valve-seat 18 a capillary space 28, which hasits continuation through the tube to the top terminating or discharg--ing' at the ports 29'.

30 is a port or. passage-way leading from At the bottom it has the usualpointed the carbid-receptacle into a combined gas I,

pipe and condensing-tube 31, which passes through the water-chamber fromend to end and terminates in the gas-discharge 32, governed by the usualcook 33.

34 is a feed-spout through which the wan-r is introduced into thewater-chamber. It carries as a stop a screw-cap 35, which bears adepending perforated strainer 36 and extending above it asmall-discharge-pipe 37, forming a safety-escape for the gas.

39 is a filter-holder.

The generation of the gas proceeds upon J the principles set forth in mycopending application, Serial No. 138,156, filed January 7,

1903, in which I have broadly claimed meansfor creating a capillary filmand presenting it to the carbid and which it is purposed to haveissue ofeven date with this application. Water is placed in the chamber 1through the spout 34:. The valve 23 is turned so that its head 26 isdrawn away from the port 19. The water enters the basin or chamber 16through the ports 19, 20, and 21 and thence passes to the capillaryspace 14 by the perforations 15. A capillary film of water is carbid inthe chamber 2.

the passage 30 and thence by the condenserpipe 31 to the discharge 32,to which may be attached a rubber tube or other connection. The water ofcondensation will fall into the carbid-receptacle, but in such a manneras merely to accelerate the generation. I have provided alternativesafety-escapes for the gas. If with the water-valve 23 and its head 26lifted to admit the water the cock 33 should be closed, cutting off thedischarge of gas, the gas generated will force its way out through thewater-passages into the Water-chamber and escape by the strainer 36 andthe pipe 37. When the valve-head is down, as shown in the drawings, thewater previously admitted to the basin or chamber 16 and the capillaryspace 14 will have the pressure of gas behind it to resist its (low intothe chamber 2 and will then the more readily follow the capillary space28, finding its exit at 29, thus withdrawing the supply of water andcutting oi? the flow of gas whether the stop-cock 33 be turned or not.This combination of safety devices renders it practically impossible toapproximate an explosive force in the generation.

I have so applied the caps 3 that they cannot be readily removed and, infact, require a wrench to remove them as a precaution against tampering.

The relations of the substantially rectangular water-chamber and theinclosed substantially cylindrical carbid-receptaole are such that Isecure a generator readily and firmly fixed in place on a vehicle, forexample, and giving the best arrangement for the carbid-receptacle topermit a large supply of water and the immediate action of the capillaryfilm over a large area of carbid. The construction is also a strong one,and I augment this by the manner in which I apply the caps, making thempractically flush with the body of the generator.

I have used the terms water-chamber and carbid-receptacle, &c., in thisspecification and 'in the claims as illustrative and as examples ofrelative generating elements.

It is to be understood that my invention is broadly applicable togenerating elements and to other relative arrangements or modificationsthereof by which a liquid is brought into contact with a solid togenerate a gas.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gas generator, in combination a water-chamber, acarbid-receptacle, perforations in the carbid-receptacle communicatingwith the water-chamber,and a plate lying over the perforations andforming with the body of the carbid-receptacle a capillary space.

2. In a gas-generator, in combination a water-chamber, acarbid-receptacle, a plate in the carbid-receptacle and slightlyseparated from it, a water-basin attached to the bottom of thecarbid-receptacle and ports leading from the water-chamber to thewater-basin, and ports leading from the basin to the space between thecarbid-receptacle and the plate.

3. In a gas-generator, the combination of a carbid-receptacle,awater-chamber surrounding the carbid-receptacle, a plate in the bottomof the carbid-receptacle forming therewith a water-space, a valve andvalve-seat passing through the plate and the carbid-receptacle, ports inthe bottom of the carbidrecept-acle, a water basin embracing thevalve-seat and the ported part of the carbidreceptacle, and a passagefrom the waterchamber into the valve-seat.

4. In a gas-generator, the combination of a water-chamber, acarbid-receptacle, a waterbasin, and communications, with a needlevalveand tube forming a capillary space and leading to a discharge-port.

5. In a gasgenerator in combination, a water-chamber, acarbid-receptacle, a waterbasin attached to the bottom of thecarbid-receptacle, communications between the waterchamber and thewater-basin and between the basin and the carbid-receptacle, and a plateforming with the bottom of the carbidreceptacle a capillary space.

6. In a gas-generator, in combination a water-chamber, acarbid-receptacle, communications between the two, a capillary spaceleading into the ca bid-receptacle, and a capillary space leading fromthe communications to an outer exit.

7. In agas-generator, in combination a substantially rectangular waterchamber, a substantially cylindrical carbid-receptacle, valvedcommunications between the two, and a screw-cap at each end of thecarbid-receptacle fitting in a depression in the head of thewater-chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HARTWELL WILLIAM WEBB.

. Witnesses:

OSCAR WARNER, JAMES SORIANO.

